Pallet handling machine



Feb. 8, 1966 Filed Aug. 21, 1962 E. E. CRlLE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 1 EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M. THOMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 EUGENE E QQIE E I 42 36 PAUL M. THOMAS BY WILLIAM R.THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRlLE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOI'L EUGENE E.CRILE 8y PAULM. THOMAS WILLIAM RTHOMAS owv Filed Aug. 21, 1962 mum 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

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PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 1.3322 LS 358 290% has 2 INVENTOR.

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PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet '7 1 5 9 ss z 598 589 0' 596 574 599 SIZINVENTOR 17, 584 5 578 EUGENE E. CRILE 572 566 PAUL M. THOMAS 57 BY WILLIAM R.THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 LT 00m mom INVENTOR. EUGENE E.CR|LE PAUL M. TH

Filed Aug. 21, 1962 OMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Aug. 21, 1962 9 5 4 O Q fining B 4 m r o 0 w n 4 l v Q 8 8 4 7 8 4 d 6 1 w Q E {d 4 4 4 o 7 6 z 4 w .4 m 9 0 4 2 w W m 4 4 r m M. A m 8 W m 4%8 L 4 4 LS49O INVEN TOR. EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M.THOMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Aug. 21, 1962 INVENTOR.

E. CRILE PAUL M.THOMAS BY WILLIAM R.THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 r 18 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR. EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M. THOMAS WILLIAM R. THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 H5 V AC 810 L2 "5 V AC START CR778 EMER STOP CR 784 LS 456 759 NC CR778 732 LS45O CR724 LS49O NC 77 CR l6 LSM I I CR7 4 CAM l5 POSIO INVENTOR 800 i. Z? EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M. THOMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 8 NC CR742 RSOL- FORK BRAKE CR I6 U8D BRAKE STARTER NC M3 LP ON MAG MAG STARTER CR3B NC RESET INVENTOR. EUGENE E.CR|LE PNJL M. THOMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS Feb. 8, 1966 E. E. CRXLE ETAL PALLET HANDLING MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed Aug. 21, 1962 INVENTOR. EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M. THOMAS BY WILLIAM RTHOMAS Feb. 8, 1966' E. E. CRILE ETAL 3,233,754

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1962 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 INVENTOR. EUGENE E. CRILE PAUL M.THOMAS BY WILLIAM R. THOMAS United States Patent 3,233,754 PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Eugene E. Crile, 1619 W. Marlette; Paul M. Thomas, 5603 E. Edgewood Road; and William R. Thomas, 1109 W. Vista, all of Phoenix, Ariz.

Filed Aug. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 218,410 Claims. (Cl. 214--16.4)

This invention relates to a pallet handling machine and more particularly to a pallet handling machine adapted to receive laden pallets from a concrete block producing machine and to transfer such laden pallets to vertically spaced superimposed locations in pallet supporting racks adjacent to the concrete block producing machine.

The pallet handling machine of the present invention embodies improvements over a machine disclosed in an application of Eugene E, Crile et al., for Pallet Handling Machine, Serial No. 28,929, filed May 13, 1960, now abandoned.

"In the production of concrete blocks, conventional block producing machines eject laden pallets which support one or more concrete blocks thereon. These pallets are always ejected from the block producing machine at a particular level and conventional pallet racks into which the pallets are loaded, generally comprise a plurality of vertically spaced superimposed shelves, some of which are above and some of which are below the delivery level of the concrete block producing machine.

The relationship of the delivery level of the machine and the superimposed spaced shelves above and below the delivery level has created many difficult problems in the operation of automatic pallet handling machines which Will accurately and properly fill all of the shelves of the racks with laden pallets.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that such a pallet handling machine must always return to the concrete block producing machine at precisely its delivery level and then must move up or down properly to index with a respective unladen shelf of a rack adjacent to the block producing machine.

The high production rate of modern concrete block producing machines imposes problems in the handling of laden pallets delivered by such a machine. Consequently, the rates at which pallet handling machine must operate are quite great when numerous movements horizontally and vertically are required properly to deliver laden pallets from the block producing machine to the racks and empty pallets from the racks to such a machine.

In addition to the high rates of operation required of a pallet handling machine, in accordance with the production-rates of a concrete block producing machine, various precise locating operations must be carried out by the pallet handling machine in order to locate positions laterally with respect to the pallet racks when positioning laden pallets therein. Such operations of laterally locating the laden pallets in position to be inserted in the racks must be accomplished quickly and precisely in order to prevent tipping of the racks or damage of the concrete blocks on the pallets.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet handling machine which pivots on a vertical axis and comprises means for elevating and horizontally moving its pallet carriage whereby pallet racks may be located on opposite sides of the pallet handling machine while the delivery axis of the concrete block 3,233,754 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 ing a pallet carriage thereof laterally with respect to a pallet rack so that laden pallets may accurately and quickly be positioned in the shelves of the rack.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pallet handling machine which comprises novel means for locating the pallet carriage thereof laterally with respect to a pallet rack; said novel means comprising converging mechanism on an outwardly extending end of a pallet carriage which may be projected between shelf members of pallet supporting shelves; said carriage pro- 'jectable horizontally from a machine structure pivotal on a substantially vertical axis and having a motor drive mechanism provided with braking means automatically disposed to stop the swinging movement of said carriage horizontally, whereby said carriage is moved into approximate alignment with a bay of rack shelves whereupon the brake mechanism of the motorized means is released when said carriage is approximately aligned with bays of rack shelves so that said converging means is free to seek its way between shelf members in the rack and thereby swing said carriage laterally into precise alignment between the shelf members of the rack and to thereby positively locate such rack shelves for longitudinal entrance of the carriage thereabove.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel converging means having spring-loaded relatively converging pivoted members disposed on an outboard end of a pallet carriage whereby the carriage may be projected between horizontally spaced members in a pallet shelf rack and whereby the converging pivoted members automatically align the carriage with shelves of the rack as the carriage is projected longitudinally between horizontally spaced members of the rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine wherein means for locating the pallet carriage thereof laterally relative to a stationary pallet rack comprises mechanism for actuating and projecting an engaging member relative to the pallet carriage; and means on the engaging member which engages an element on the pallet rack for laterally indexing the pallet carriage relative to the shelves of the pallet rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine having electrical circuit means and motorized mechanism for advancing bays of pallet racks with respect to the pallet handling machine when the pallet handling machine moves downwardly beyond the lowermost shelf in a bay of the rack whereby the rack is subsequently moved by the motorized means so that the next adjacent bay of the rack shelves may be automatically positioned to receive laden pallets from the pallet handling machine of the invention. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine wherein a pallet carriage thereof is swingable from a concrete block producing machine alternately to either of a pair of spaced racks whereby the racks may be successively loaded without any difference in timing of the pallet handling machine in moving from the concrete block producing machine to either of the spaced pallet racks. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine wherein means is provided for locating laden pallets laterally with respect to a pallet rack which means comprises mechanism for precisely locating a laden pallet laterally of the pallet carriage and also means engagable with the pallet rack for laterally locating the pallet carriage with respect to the pallet rack whereby a laden pallet may be horizontally moved from the carriage precisely into the rack without tipping the same or damaging blocks on the laden pallet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf height locating mechanism which precisely locates the vertical disposition of a pallet carriage of the machine above or below the delivery level of a concrete block producing machine so that laden pallets may accurately be placed at a proper vertical level with respect to the existing pallet rack shelves regardless of their mechanical condition or even though some shelves may be missing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf height locating mechanismof approved character wherein means is precisely driven vertically with respect to movement of a pallet carriage and with respect to empty pallets located thereby as they are removed from rack shelves, whereby the positively driven shelf height locating means automatically and positively actuates an electrical switch means precisely with respect to the elevation of an empty pallet being removed from a rack shelf so that the machine may subsequently return to such position and deposit a laden pallet on the shelf from which the empty pallet was previously removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which is generally improved over that disclosed in said hereinbefore mentioned patent application.

Another object of the invention is to provide a variety of improvements in shelf height locating mechanisms for pallet handling machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in the frame and frame motorizing mechanisms of pallet handling machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine .having all of its operating mechanism swingable on a fixed vertical axis and which also comprises mechanism for moving a pallet carriage vertically and horizontally whereby such combined movements may be accomplished simultaneously in order to accommodate a high production rate of a concrete block producing machine and accurately to place laden pallets in pallet racks and to deliver unladen pallets back to the producing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine having a novel combination of mechanical and electrical devices for alternately loading spaced racks adjacent to a concrete block producing machine whereby one rack may be loaded while the other rack may be replaced by an empty one.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machine which is very simple and economical of construction in proportion to its utility and complexity of operation and which machine is very durable and relatively easy-to maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view of a pallet handling machine, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan sectional view taken from the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing portions broken away to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 3 is a reduced fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view taken from the line 66 of FIG. 5, showing portions broken away to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 7 is afragmentary sectional view taken from the the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan sectional view taken from the line 88 of FIG. 7, showing the structure disclosed therein rotated substantially 90 degrees from that as disclosed in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 9-9 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged elevational view taken from the line .1010 of FIG. 5, showing portions broken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken from the line 1111 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary top or plan view of features of the pallet carriage of the invention including means disposed to locate the carriage as it swings horizontally with respect to structure of a pallet rack and shelves therein;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary top-or plan view of the pallet handling machine of the invention shown in relation to a block producing machine, pallet rack truck, and pallet rack thereon and illustrating, by broken lines, a varying position of the pallet handling carriage of said machine and in a position to deposit a loaded palletin relation to shelves of the pallet rack;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a pallet rack having shelves with pallets thereon and a pallet handling carriage of the present invention in position to retract empty pallets from the uppermost shelf of a bay of the pallet rack;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 but showing an operation subsequent to that shown in FIG. 14, wherein the pallet handling carriage of the invention places a plurality of laden pallets in position on a rack shelf from which empty pallets were previously removed;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIGS. 14 and 15 but showing the pallet rack disposed on a motorized truck and illustrating the pallet carriage of the invention in a position immediately below the laden pallets as placed in accordance with the disclosure of FIG. 15 and whereupon empty pallets are retracted by said carriage from the shelf immediately below that on which the laden pallets have been deposited previously, as shown in FIG. 15, of the drawings;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken from the line 1717 of FIG. 16, showing details of the pallet rack moving truck, one of which may be positioned on each opposite side of the machine, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 13 ofthe drawings;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken from the line 18--18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 2020 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 21-21.of FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 2222 of FIG. 5, showing the structure rotated substantially degrees;

FIG. 23 is a plan fragmentary view of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is'a view similar to FIG. 21 showing a modified form of the invention comprising a motorized and driven shelf height locating mechanism;

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the line 25-25 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 13 but showing a modification of the invention with respect to a novel and simplified means of laterally locating the pallet carriage of the machine with respect to shelves in a pallet rack and further illustrating portions broken away and in section to amplify the illustration; FIG. 26 further showing diagrammatically a conveyor and guide means more fully illustrated in FIGS.,32 and 33;

FIG. 27 ,is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken from the line 2727 of FIG. 26 and showing details of the pallet conveyor mechanism omitted;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing a portion of the pallet handling carriage of the machine provided with converging locating mechanism disposed to align the carriage laterally with respect to a rack shelf for removing empty pallets from such shelves and accurately loading laden pallets therein; 

8. IN A PALLET HANDLING MACHINE THE COMBINATION OF: A PALLET HANDLING CARRIAGE MOVABLE HORIZONTALLY; A FRAME HAVING FIRST MEANS TELESCOPICALLY SUPPORTING SAID CARRIAGE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT THEREON; A MEMBER HAVING SECOND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREON; STATIONARY MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL STATIONARY AXIS; PALLET RACKS ADJACENT SAID FRAME; HORIZONTALLY SPACED MEMBERS OF SAID RACKS; AND OUTWARDLY CONVERGING MEANS OF SAID CARRIAGE DISPOSED WEDGABLY TO SLIDE BETWEEN SAID SPACED MEMBERS AND THEREBY GUIDE AND CARRIAGE AND LADEN PALLETS CARRIED THEREBY INTO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID PALLETS ARE DEPOSITED ON SAID SHELF MEMBERS BY SAID CARRIAGE; SAID OUTWARDLY CONVERGING MEANS OF SAID CARRIAGE COMPRISING WEDGING MEMBERS PIVOTED TO SAID CARRIAGE AT ITS OUTER END AND OPPOSITE SIDES, SAID WEDGING MEMBERS HAVING FREE ENDS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID OUTER END AND IN DIVERGING RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND FROM THEIR PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS WITH SAID CARRIAGE; RESILIENT MEANS TENDING TO PIVOT SAID WEDGE MEMBERS INTO SAID DIVERGING RELATION AND TO PIVOT THEIR SAID FREE ENDS AWAY FROM SAID CARRIAGE. 